


Too Good An End

by Yolatirra



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Crying, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:28:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29217231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yolatirra/pseuds/Yolatirra
Summary: “Lucien’s hand curls around his neck, and Essek knows this is the end.”I just... needed to write some hurt/comfort Lucien kills Essek but it’s fine he comes back fic.
Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 13
Kudos: 339





	Too Good An End

**Author's Note:**

> I had to write something after Ep. 124. This doesn’t really have spoilers for 124, it was just inspired by the potentials of it.
> 
> I only read through this once to check for mistakes so if there’s a million typos umm... sorry?

Lucien’s hand curls around his neck, and Essek knows this is the end. The Mighty Nein told him of this power, and he’s seen it now himself, in this fight. He’s already taken too many hits to survive it.

At least he’s done enough damage to Lucien and the others that he has little doubt the Mighty Nein can finish the job. Maybe that is enough. It will have to be.

He hears Jester scream his name as Lucien’s red eyes spark, lips turning up in a vicious smile.

“Well, I certainly hope dying for your friends was worth it,” Lucien says.

Essek laughs, an odd calm settling deep in his bones.

Something flickers in Lucien’s eyes, and maybe given a moment more, Essek could have deciphered it. But then Lucien’s smirk becomes a snarl, and pain explodes in Essek’s mind. It shoots down his spine, to every part of him, searing through him and burning, burning, until there is nothing left of him.

Words come to him in death. He has no sense of time, or even of being, but the words reach him all the same.

_Thelyss you’re not allowed to die yet._

_Essek, Essek, please come back. You’re our friend! I’ll miss you! But Caleb will miss you the most.  
_

_I think death seems lonely. I don’t want you to be lonely._

_Gotta say, now that you’re dead, I think I’d kinda miss having you around._

_You’re an asshole, but honestly all of us are. But you’re more than that. And Caleb doesn’t need another death on his conscience_

_Never was sure what to think of you, but I’m curious who you might be, if you got the chance to figure it out._

_You’re not done yet. You have more to learn, and so much more to give._

_You don’t get to die here. Neither of us gets to die yet. That’s too easy. Come back. Please, Essek, come back to me._

He feels warmth on his forehead, on his cheeks, on his eyelids, and then lightly, ever so lightly, on his lips.

Consciousness rushes back to him, nothing one moment and then too bright, too real, too much the next. He sucks in a breath, which is then punched out of him as his body screams in pain, dragging a strangled sound from his lungs.

He hears shouts around him, and he grimaced as it makes his head throb. Fuck, everything hurts.

Oh, gods, he’d been dead. And now he’s—

Warmth floods him. The pain dulls and the throbbing in his head fades enough that he can suck in a breath, then another, and another.

He opens his eyes, wincing at the light but able to keep them open. He sees Jester first, grinning with reddened eyes and cheeks wet with tears. Beside her is Fjord, smiling softly with an arm around her shoulders. Beau looks neutral, but she glances away, surreptitiously wiping one eye on her shoulder. Yasha’s giving him a shockingly intense look of relief. Veth gives him a begrudging smile. Caduceus’s soft, kind eyes watch him with a look of understanding and comfort.

And Caleb—

He looks up, realizing he’s laying half in Caleb’s lap, with warm, shaking hands cradling his face. He flinches as a drop falls on his cheek, and he lifts his own weak, shaking hand to wipe it off.

Caleb is staring down at him, trembling, crying, a slow, hesitant smile spreading across his face.

“Hey there,” Caleb whispers.

Essek swallows. He remembers warmth on his forehead, on his eyes, and on his lips.

“You brought me back.” Essek’s throat is so dry it comes out as a croak. He’s not sure if that’s from the dying part or from what he’s just remembered.

“Dying’s too good an end for people like you and me, Thelyss.” Caleb says. He doesn’t seem to care that he’s crying. One of his hands has shifted to Essek’s neck, fingers pressed gently to his pulse point. He heaves a deep breath, eyes fluttering shut for a moment. “Wasn’t about to let you off that easy.”

It sounds like truth, but it also sounds like deflection. Essek gathers his strength and lifts an arm to Caleb’s face, wiping away his tears, before brushing a thumb over Caleb’s lips. Caleb’s breath hitches, eyes widening a fraction.

“I heard you calling for me. All of you. Thank you.”

He’s not sure he would have thanked them before. Death would have been a mercy after the nightmare his life has become, after what he’s done. But Caleb is right. Living is harder, but it means he can do something to atone.

And he can’t bare the thought of leaving Caleb behind.

He curls his hand around Caleb’s neck and tugs him down as he leans up to meet him.

If he hadn’t just died, he would have stopped himself. Caleb might not even want this, much as his feelings are clear, not after what he’s done. But gods, he wants this and he is, after all, selfish, and a far weaker man than he once thought.

But Caleb doesn’t pull away. He gasps, and the breath comes out as a whine through his nose. He kisses back hard, desperate and needy and messy and Essek thinks, _yes, Lucien._ Dying for his friends was worth it.


End file.
